Tool head unit



Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES OFFICE Application May 6, weasel-inNo. 609,694

7 Claims.

3 This invention: relates to ahead for carrying a milling, boring,drilling or other tool, which unit is self-contained and can be appliedto a planer or other convenient type of machine tool.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide. a self-containedconstruction in which the head proper with the motor can be turned todifferent angles, about the axis of the tool spindle, on the base bywhich it is secured to the bed or frame of a the machine to which itis'applied; to provide an arrangement for driving the tool spindle fromthe motor in which the pickoff or other gears for changing speed arelocated at a point in the train such that one of them is on the shaft ofa worm which operates the slow motion drive for'the spindle; to providea perfect acting binding means for the quill which will preventvibration and loosening at both ends of the quill; to provide a pumpactuated by the operation of the driving gear for lubricating themachine, and to provide .the entire construction in such form that allaligning surfaces on whichthe spindle alignment depends can be boredfrom a, common axis, thus permitting the accurate alignment of theseveral, co-related parts. C1

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.Reference is to be, had drawings, in which Fig. ;1 is averticaldiametrical sectional view to the accompanying of ,a preferredembodiment of the invention;

Figs.- 2 and 3 are bottom plan views showing the motor and the speedtransmission mechanism adjusted to two different "positions;

Fig. 4 is a view,.partially diagrammatic, of the driving gearing l l aFig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing one of themeans for binding the quill; l. A

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 showing the invention carried outwithcertain modifications.

In'the formshown' in the first six figures, the

unit is builtwith the idea of applying it to the bed of aplaner by meansof a rail, housing or other support along the side ofthe planer in avertical plane and: a supporting part comprising (a cylinder; 10constitutinga: part of the unitand This cylinder 10 is provided,preferably on the top therof, with a casing 12 secured to the top of thecylinder 10 by bolts 13 arranged in .a circle and capable of beingturned and fixed in another place so that this casing 12 can be 10 catedin two or more positions. The casing 12 is fitted into the end of thecylinder 10 with a spigot or swivel joint centrally located with respectto the circle of bolts 13 and the axis of the cylinder. When a change isto be made in the position of the motor, the casing 12 can be revolvedon its support by hand and brought to the right location most desirablefor the particular machine to which it is applied. It is to beunderstood that this motor change is done ordinarily at the shop wherethe machine is manufactured and it is not intended that it will have tobe changed again unless the machine is taken off one kind of quanityproduction and put on another, when such a change would have to be made.

'At one end this casing is provided with a motor 14 for operating thewhole machine and in Figs. 2 and 3 the motor is shown located in twodifferent positions owing to the fact that the easing 12 in the twocases has been turned around '90". Ordinarily this motor is flangemounted on the combination cover plate and gear box! cover 12.

The motor operates a pair of shafts through gears 15 and 16 andalsothrough a pair of pick. on gears 1'7 and 18. The gear 15 is locatedon the motor shaft. The gears 16 and l'lare located on a back shaft andthe gear 18 is located on the shaft which carries a worm 19 as shown inFig. 4. The gears 17 and 18 are held on their shafts by nuts 20 or thelike and ob- 'viously they can be removed and another pair havingadifierent gear ratio substituted toprovide for different speeds.

As will be explained later the worm 19 drives a tool. To have one of thebottom gears located on the shaft of this worm simplifies the wholedriving construction very materially and permits all necessary changesby the simple and well known expedient of removing these gears andreplacing them by others. Oflcourse a quick change gear box of anyordinary construction can be substituted for the pick-01f gears.

The worm 19 drives a worm gear 21 which is bolted to a worm wheelcarrier 23 by fitted worm wheel carrier is splined to a tool spindle 22by one or more keys 24 which are shown as having headed ends. Thisspindle is hollow, preferably. The spaces outside these ends are filledwith solder at 25 under certain circumstances to prevent oil passing inthrough the keyways.

On the worm carrier 23 is an eccentric 26 which operates a pump piston27 against a spring 28 for supplying oil to the various bearings. The

usual inlet and outlet passages are provided in the pump and oil isdirected through suitable pip ing to any bearings, not dipping in theoil. The drive unit is sealed against loss of lubricaton by means ofsuitable oil seals'29 at top and bottom, these oil seals being pressedinto the casing and engaging 1e worm carrier 23. This enables the deviceto carry a head of lubricating oil in the box.

The tool spindle 22 extends down through the center of the spigot jointinto the cylinder 10 and into the quill 30 carried by this cylinder, bywhich it is supported. Adjustment is secured by means of lock nuts 31bearing on the top of the anti-frictionbearings on the quill which carrythis end of the spindle. The quill is provided with means by which itcan be bound in place in such a way as to prevent vibration at one endor the other. This is done by the simple expedient of employing twoquill binders 32, one located near one end and the other near the other.This obviously binds both ends of the quill so that even after wearthere will be no looseness. These quill binders are made in the form ofa screw having one binder under the head and the other binder beingtaken up by the turning of the screw, as shown in Fig. 5. These bindershave concave surfaces fitting the quill so that, whenever they aretightened up, the quill is acted on equally by both of them and is movedback against the other inside surface of the cylinder 10 where it has afirm bearing.

The tool spindle as shown in this figure is provided with a standardtaper to receive a milling cutter 34, drill, or the like. t also has aflanged end 35 on which large cutters may be bolted as will appear. Anadjusting gear 43 meshing with a rack 44 on the quill and operated by awrench on a squared shaft 45 is shownfor moving the quill in an axialdirection for adjustment.

A cover 36 is detachably mounted on the cylinder 10 over a passagethrough which it is possible to get at the lock nuts 31 to adjust theroller bearings which support the spindle without removing the quillfrom the housing.

In this form a cover plate 37 is located at the end or top of the casing12 removably mounted and provided with a sealing plate 38 which receivesthe upper oil seal 29 and the cover plate itself carries theanti-friction bearings at this end.

In the form shown in Fig. 7, the cylinder 10 and casing 12 are in onepiece designated 40. This construction can be used in places wherethereis no need of changing the position of the motor. Obviouslythe machinecan be made with these two parts fixed together in any position andconditions under which it is to be used permanently.

In this form shown the flanged end of the spindle 22 having a largemilling cutter 41 bolted to it and driven by means of a key 42;

It will be noticed that in the form shown in Fig. 1 the hollow spindlepasses throughthe box 38 to the outside but where it can be done it isdesired to house this spindle entirelywithin' the structure and for thatpurpose a diiierent construction is used at the end and shownin Fig. '7.

This involves the cap 37 which supports the antifriction bearings asbefore and in place of the seal 38 is provided a cylindrical member 47carrying a cap 48 which cap is removably mounted on it by bolts. Whenthese parts are all fixed in place, this end of the device is closed andit is intended that this closure be permanent for all practicalpurposes, although each member, of course, can be taken out. Thisstructure provides for the sealing of the end of the casing againstentrance of dust or dirt without the loss of oil, without providing anyoil sealing devices or the like at this end. In this form is shown acover 46 for the gear train.

7 It will be seen therefore that this invention involves in one of itsforms an adjustment for the parts supporting the motor so that the motorcan be placed in the most convenient location; that one of the pick-offgears is located on the worm shaft, thus reducing the gearing; that thequill is held back against its bearing surface throughout its entirelength and that the oil pump is arranged in a convenient position andoperated without any unnecessary mechanism. Also the milling unit isself-contained and preferably, but not necessarily, consists of twoparts adjustably mounted with respect to each other. On account of theemployment of the cover 36 it is possible to get at the lock nuts whichadjust the antifriction bearings supporting the spindle, withoutremoving the quill from the housing. Also the inner and outer spindlebearings can be lubricated without removing any caps, covers or thelike.

Although we have illustrated and described only two forms of theinvention we are aware of the fact that other modifications can be madetherein by any person skilled in the art without departing from thescope of the invention as expressed in the claims. limited in thisrespect otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we do claimis:

l. A tool head unit comprising a supporting part, a quill supportedtherein, means for clamping the quill in position, a casing swiveled onthe supporting part on the same axis as the quill and adapted to beturned thereon, a motor projecting from one side of the casing with itsaxis at an angle to the axis of the quill means in the Therefore we donot wish to be g.

casing driven from the motor for operating the quill, and means forsecuring the casing in the desired position about the center of thesupporting part to hold the motor in the desired position.

2. In a tool head unit for application to a machine tool, thecombination of a supporting ele- 1:.

ment adapted to be adjusted along the bed of a machine tool, a quillcarried inside the said supporting part, a tool spindle, said quillhaving bearings for supporting the tool spindle therein,

a casing swiveled on the supporting element on the same axis as thequill and adapted to be secured in adjusted positions around that axis,a motor carried by the casing, a Worm wheel mounted on the spindle insaid casing, means carried by the casing for rotating the worm wheel xfrom the motor and anti-friction bearings carried by the casing for thepart of the quill that extends into the casing.

3. In a tool head unit, the combination of a quill, means for supportingthe quill in adjusted icomprising replaceable change speed gears, one ofwhich is on the shaft of said worm, for driving the worm from the motor,a worm wheel in the casing secured to the spindle and meshing with saidworm, and bearings in the casing for the part of the spindle thatprojects into the casing.

4. A self-contained unit for supporting a tool comprising a supportingmember adapted to be mounted in adjusted positions on the frame of themachine tool, a quill carried thereby, a tool spindle passing throughthe quill, anti-friction bearings in the quill for supporting the toolspindle, a second element comprising a casing having bearings for saidspindle, a motor on the casing, and means in the casing for rotating thespindle from the motor, said casing being adjustable about the axis ofthe spindle to change the position of the motor from one side to anotherof the first-named member.

5. In a driving means for a tool head, the combination with a casing inwhich a tool spindle is supported, of a motor having a casing fixed tothe outside of the first-named casing, a pinion on the shaft of themotor in the casing, a back shaft,

a gear on the back shaft meshing with the pinion, a worm, a shaft onwhich the worm is fixed, a pair of pick-off gears carried by the lasttwo shafts and meshing with each other for driving the worm at differentspeeds, a worm wheel meshing with the worm to be driven thereby, and aworm wheel support to which said worm wheel is secured, said worm wheelsupport being keyed to the spindle for driving it. 7

6. In a tool head unit, the combination of a plate at the end of thecasing having an internal flange carrying one of said bearings, asealing plate secured to said plate and extending inwardly through it, asupporting member to which the worm gear is secured, saidsupportingmember being keyed to the spindle and extending through the said sealingplate, and means for forming a tight joint at the point where thesupporting member extends through the plate to prevent the escape oflubricant.

7. In a self-contained unit for supporting a tool, the combination of acasing having a quill carried thereby, bearings in the casing forsaidquill, a tool spindle carried and supported by said bearings, a setof bearings beyond the quill in the casing for supporting the end of thespindle farthest from the tool end thereof, said casing having anopening at the end beyond the spindle, a cover plate for closing saidopening, said cover plate having means for supporting one of saidbearings and having an opening, an open centered member entering theopening and secured to said cover plate, and a cap closing the openingin said member, the cover plate, member and cap being bolted together.

ERNEST L. FICKETT. WILLIAM O. FORMAN. ROLAND G. HOLMES.

